Canada's two largest cancer fundraisers team up to conquer cancer

03 June 2011

Toronto -

A landmark partnership announced today between Canada’s two largest cancer charities, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation andthe Canadian Cancer Society, will raise significant amounts of money towards conquering cancer through the national expansion of Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer.

Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer is a groundbreaking one-day, dawn-to-dusk road hockey event raising funds for cancer research. The inaugural event, to take place Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Toronto’s Ontario Place, is already the world’s largest fundraising road hockey event, with more than 250 teams registered! Each team involved in Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer will consist of 8-10 players aged 16 years or older, and will play a minimum of five games through the course of the day, with refreshments, music, interactive games and massage therapy among numerous activities for participants to enjoy between games.

The national expansion of the event will begin in 2012, when Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer is introduced in several key markets across Canada, with specific details of dates and locations to follow.

The intense passion for Canada’s game is evident across this country as fans, both passionate and casual, watch hockey in the Stanley Cup Final. The charm of road hockey is its simplicity. It captures a love for hockey in a manner in which anyone can participate. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone across Canada who, at one time or another, hasn’t pulled on their running shoes, grabbed a hockey stick and fired a few balls at a willing target while playing road hockey.

Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, said “Playing road hockey takes me back to some of the best memories of my life. Anyone can play, and it’s happening right now on streets all across Canada. We are beyond thrilled to have created a landmark partnership with our friends at the Canadian Cancer Society that will see us work together in the battle against cancer. Researchers are currently embarking on a new era of discovery. Events like Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer provide significant funding support to scientists and give momentum to our mission to conquer cancer in our lifetime.”

“We are excited to collaborate with The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation on Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer,” said Peter Goodhand, President and CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society. “This is truly a unique relationship between Canada’s two largest cancer charities. Road hockey is a great Canadian tradition and we are confident that this dawn-to-dusk road hockey marathon will not only be fun but will also unite everyone involved in the fight against cancer. Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer will further enable the Canadian Cancer Society to support Canadians by funding excellent research, advocating for healthy public policies and providing support services and information to cancer patients and their loved ones.”

“Like any other kid, I played road hockey,” said six-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Trottier. “It was a dream for all of us to one day play for the Stanley Cup. Road hockey was one of the ways we were able to live that dream, even as kids.” Trottier, one of the celebrity participants in Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, added, “It’s a great way to celebrate our game, a great way to have fun, but more importantly, it’s a great way to get together and raise money for a very important cause.”

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.